Minnesota Model Makes History As First Model To Wear Burkini and Hijab in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue

Halima Aden is the first Muslim model to wear a hijab and burkini in the new issue of Sports Illustrated. Aden, a Somali-American model was born in a refugee camp in Kenya. She lived there until the age of seven. Her family then moved to the US, settling in St. Cloud where she attended Apollo High School (becoming the first Muslim Homecoming Queen at that school) eventually attended St. Cloud State.  In 2016, at the age of nineteen, she became the first Miss Minnesota USA contestant to wear a hijab and a burkini.  Later, Aden signed with IMG models and has become an extremely successful international model, challenging the standards of traditional beauty in the fashion industry. In 2018 she appeared on the cover of British Vogue – and you guessed it – she was the first hijabi woman to do so. 

Congratulations to Halima! Here’s to broader representation for all kinds of people in media!!

“I never really felt represented because I never could flip through a magazine and see a girl who was wearing a hijab.” #ShatteringPerceptions pic.twitter.com/EtNfpszcmy

— Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (@SI_Swimsuit) April 29, 2019

Halima Aden makes history as the first model to wear a hijab and burkini for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit: https://t.co/8WFD4hHmiH. pic.twitter.com/OsBthnjoLY

— Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (@SI_Swimsuit) April 29, 2019